An information processing system including a main device and an operation device is known. In such an information processing system, when the main device and the operation device are connected together via a wire, the operation device is driven by power supplied from the main device. When the main device and the operation device wirelessly communicate with each other, the operation device is driven by power from its own built-in battery.
When the operation device is connected with the main device via a wire, the range within which the operation device can be used is limited, which is inconvenient. When the operation device and the main device are wirelessly communicating with each other, then if the battery in the operation device becomes dead, the operation device can no longer be used. Therefore, it is desirable to maintain the power of the battery in the operation device as long as possible.
With the above in mind, the present application discloses an information processing system, information processing device, operation device, and power supply method which can improve the convenience of an operation device.
(1) An example non-limiting information processing system described herein includes a main device, and an operation device attachable to the main device.
The operation device includes a first control circuit, a first battery, a first power supply circuit, and a remaining charge amount information transmission circuit. The first control circuit controls at least a portion of the operation device. The first battery supplies power to the first control circuit. The first power supply circuit allows power supply from the first battery to the first control circuit. The remaining charge amount information transmission circuit transmits, to the main device, remaining charge amount information indicating the amount of charge remaining in the first battery.
The main device includes a second control circuit, a second battery, and a second power supply circuit. The second control circuit controls at least a portion of the main device. The second battery supplies power to the second control circuit. The second power supply circuit allows power supply from the second battery to the second control circuit.
The second power supply circuit supplies power from the second battery to the operation device in response to satisfaction of a condition about the amount of remaining charge indicated by the remaining charge amount information transmitted from the remaining charge amount information transmission circuit. When power is supplied from the main device to the operation device, the first power supply circuit supplies power supplied from the main device to the first control circuit, instead of power from the first battery.
According to the configuration (1), power is supplied from the main device to the operation device in response to satisfaction of the condition about the amount of charge remaining in the first battery. Therefore, the occurrence of the situation where the amount of charge remaining in the first battery of the operation device becomes zero, so that the operation device can no longer be used, can be reduced. Thus, the convenience of the operation device can be improved. In addition, the main device does not always supply power to the operation device when the operation device is in the connected state, and supplies power in response to satisfaction of the condition about the amount of charge remaining in the first battery. Therefore, the power of the second battery of the main device can be efficiently used. As a result, the duration in which the information processing system can be used can be extended. Thus, the convenience of the operation device and the information processing system can be improved.
(2) The operation device may further include an operation unit. The remaining charge amount information transmission circuit may include a first communication interface configured to perform wired communication with the main device. The main device may further include a second communication interface configured to perform wired communication with the operation device. The remaining charge amount information transmission circuit may transmit operation information indicating an operation performed on the operation unit, and the remaining charge amount information, to the main device by the wired communication through the first communication interface. The second power supply circuit, when determining to supply power to the operation device, may supply power from the second battery to the operation device through the second communication interface.
According to the configuration (2), power supply is performed through the communication interfaces which perform wired communication between the main device and the operation device, and the remaining charge amount information is transmitted through the communication interfaces. As a result, the main device can acquire the remaining charge amount information from the operation device without using wireless communication.
(3) The second control circuit may performs a predetermined information process on the basis of the operation information transmitted from the remaining charge amount information transmission circuit.
(4) The operation device may further include an operation unit. The remaining charge amount information transmission circuit may further include a third communication interface configured to perform wireless communication with the main device. The main device may further include a fourth communication interface configured to perform wireless communication with the operation device. The remaining charge amount information transmission circuit may transmit operation information indicating an operation performed on the operation unit, and the remaining charge amount information, to the main device by the wireless communication through the third communication interface.
According to the configuration (4), the operation device can transmit information to the main device by the wireless communication. The user can use the operation device in the detached state. Therefore, the configuration (4) can further improve the convenience of the operation device.
(5) The second control circuit may performs a predetermined information process on the basis of the operation information transmitted from the remaining charge amount information transmission circuit.
(6) When the operation device is performing the wireless communication with the main device, the first power supply circuit may supply power from the first battery to the first control circuit.
According to the configuration (6), the operation device, when performing the wireless communication, can be driven by power from its own built-in battery, i.e. the first battery.
(7) When the operation device is performing the wireless communication with the main device, even if the condition about the amount of remaining charge is satisfied, the first power supply circuit may supply power from the first battery to the first control circuit.
(8) The main device may further include a power terminal configured to acquire of power supplied from a power source external to the main device. When the second power supply circuit is supplied with power from the power source device through the power terminal, the second power supply circuit may supply power supplied from the power source to the second control circuit, and supply power supplied from the power source to the operation device.
According to the configuration (8), when external power is supplied to the main device, the information processing system can be driven without consumption of power of the second battery of the main device.
(9) When the first power supply circuit is supplying power from the first battery to the first control circuit, then if power is supplied from the main device to the operation device, the first power supply circuit may stop supplying power from the first battery to the first control circuit, and start supplying power supplied from the main device to the first control circuit.
According to the configuration (9), the operation device, when supplied with power from the main device, can reduce power consumption of its own built-in battery, i.e. the first battery.
(10) When power is supplied from the main device to the operation device, the first power supply circuit may supply power supplied from the main device to the first control circuit, and charge the first battery using power supplied from the main device.
According to the configuration (10), when power is supplied from the main device to the operation device, the operation device can charge its own built-in battery, i.e. the first battery. As a result, the user can use the operation device while the operation device is being charged, and therefore, the convenience of the operation device can be improved.
(11) When the second power supply circuit is supplying power to the operation device, then if the amount of remaining charge indicated by the remaining charge amount information transmitted from the remaining charge amount information transmission circuit is greater than or equal to a first value, the second power supply circuit may stop supplying power to the operation device. When the second power supply circuit is not supplying power to the operation device, then if the amount of remaining charge indicated by the remaining charge amount information transmitted from the remaining charge amount information transmission circuit is smaller than a second value which is smaller than the first value, the second power supply circuit may start supplying power to the operation device.
According to the configuration (11), the main device determines whether or not to supply power from the main device to the operation device, using different values depending on whether or not power is being supplied from the main device to the operation device. Thus, by using such different values, the frequency of repetition of the starting and stopping of power supply can be reduced.
(12) In the information processing system, there may be a plurality of the operation devices attachable to the main device. The second power supply circuit may supply power from the second battery to any operation device that has transmitted the remaining charge amount information satisfying the condition, of the plurality of operation devices attached to the main device.
According to the configuration (12), a plurality of operation devices can be simultaneously attached to the main device. Therefore, the convenience of the operation device can be improved. In addition, according to the configuration (12), the main device determines whether or not to supply power to operation devices separately. Therefore, the main device can control power supply to operation devices separately, resulting in efficient power supply to the operation devices.
(13) The operation device may further include an operation unit. The second control circuit may execute a game process on the basis of an operation performed on the operation unit.
According to the configuration (13), in the information processing system capable of executing a game process, the convenience of the operation device (and the information processing system) can be improved.
(14) When the amount of charge remaining in the second battery is smaller than or equal to a predetermined value, the second power supply circuit may stop supplying power from the second battery to the operation device, regardless of the amount of remaining charge indicated by the remaining charge amount information transmitted from the remaining charge amount information transmission circuit.
According to the configuration (14), when the amount of charge remaining in the second battery of the main device becomes small, the main device stops supplying power to the operation device. Therefore, the rate of decrease of the amount of charge remaining in the second battery of the main device can be reduced, and therefore, the duration in which the main device can be used can be extended.
(15) Another example non-limiting information processing system described herein includes a portable main device, and two operation devices simultaneously attachable to the main device.
Each of the operation devices includes a first control circuit, a first battery, a first power supply circuit, a first communication interface, and a second communication interface. The first control circuit controls at least a portion of the operation device. The first battery supplies power to the first control circuit. The first power supply circuit allows power supply from the first battery to the first control circuit. The first communication interface is configured to perform wired communication with the main device. The second communication interface is configured to perform wireless communication with the main device.
The main device includes a second battery, a second battery, a second power supply circuit, a third and a fourth communication interface, and a fifth communication interface. The second control circuit controls at least a portion of the main device. The second battery supplies power to the second control circuit. The second power supply circuit supplies power from the second battery to the second control circuit. The third and fourth communication interfaces are configured to perform wired communication with the respective operation devices. The fifth communication interface is configured to perform wireless communication with the operation devices.
For any of the operation devices that is connected with the main device by the wired communication, the second power supply circuit supplies power from the second battery to said operation device in response to satisfaction of a condition that the main device is connected with said operation device by the wired communication. In each of the operation devices, the first power supply circuit supplies power from the first battery to the first control circuit when said operation device is not connected with the main device by the wired communication.
According to the configuration (15), the user can use the two operation devices both with and without the wired communication, resulting in an improvement in the convenience of the operation devices. Furthermore, according to the configuration (15), when the wired communication is performed, power is supplied from the main device to an operation device, and therefore, the occurrence of the situation where the amount of charge remaining in the first battery becomes zero, so that the operation device can no longer be used, can be reduced. As a result, the convenience of the operation devices can be further improved.
Note that disclosed herein are a non-limiting example of the main device (in other words, the information processing device) included in the information processing system as set forth in (1)-(15), and a non-limiting example of the operation device included in the information processing system. In addition, disclosed herein is a non-limiting example of a power supply method executed in the information processing system as set forth in (1)-(15).
According to the above information processing system, information processing device, operation device, and power supply method, the convenience of the operation device can be improved.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present exemplary embodiment will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present exemplary embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.